SUCCESSION AND THE NIGHTMARES OF FORMER RULERS

 SUCCESSION AND THE NIGHTMARES OF FORMER RULERS

(Modest thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, April 5, 2022; 

SMS: 08116181263)

Against the erroneous motion that the term ruler and leader are the same and can be used interchangeably; there is a thin but distinct difference between rulers and leaders. This distinction is reflected in several works of literature, but one of which will form the context of this expository discourse.

A Non-Governmental and non-profit organization, Vision International Christian Ministries (VICM) attempted to distinguish between the two terms. It defined a ruler as someone who dictates the rules with the assumption that being the head means having absolute right and authority over others who have no choice but to follow and peradventure anyone acts otherwise, the consequences for disobedience include death, imprisonment, and/or physical harm. In this sense, rulers are associated with power-drunk dictators who use instruments of power to exercise coercion or load it on their subjects.

Leaders, on the other hand, are those in a position of authority who influence direction, guidance, motivation, empowerment, inspiration, and encouragement in others to be the best they can be, putting their skills, potentials, and abilities into proper use (VICM). This implies that leaders are a catalyst for inspiration, and motivation towards the realization of a person's best potential for the greater good of the total population. In other words, they are a legitimate representative of people or institutions who stir others towards the attainment of greatness both at the micro and macro levels of living in a society.

In a democracy, people are more favorably disposed to leaders than any form of rulership. In anarchist doctrine, "rulers are undesirable"(Skyler, 2015). Despite the abhorrence of rulership in democracy and anarchism, rulers have stealthily sneak their way into supposedly democratic offices and are loading it on people in parts of the world, especially, Africa. In most African countries, elected leaders rule like emperors and dictators whose trade in stock is the use of deceit and brute force to administer their will to the people who elected them, forgetting that leadership is transient.

In this world, "Nothing", they say, "lasts forever." This takes us to the idea of succession which has to do with the transition and transfer of powers and authority from one leadership or rulership to another. Leadership is a relay where power changes hands as time kicks. The word "former" or "former" is a product of time and the reality of the transiencee of power.

History is engaged with catalogues of the rise and fall of emperors, tyrants, rulers, and leaders of all kinds. Today we can only read about great, mighty, or even infamous leaders of yesterday in the annals of history.

Do you remember names like Emperor Nero, Alexander the Great, and King Herod? History has documented rulers like Adolf Hitler of Germany, Charles xiv of France; Napoleon Bonaparte, also, of France. Do you remember Mobutu Tseseko? What about Idi Amin of Uganda? Have you forgotten about Fidel Castro of Cuba? These names, just a sample of many others, shared one adjective in common: Former! They were former this or former that.

There is this song lyrics, "I still remember... I still remember...I still remember" that we had people like Abraham Lincoln, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Olusegun Obasanjo, Jonah David Jang, all of them former this or former that. Tip tap tip tap tip tap, time is moving and moving very fast. Time ushers people into a position of authority and ushers them out in the same manner. This is part of the nightmares of rulers!

History is kind to leaders who transform people through the power of inspiration, motivation, and modeling but harsh to rulers who deploy tyranny and rule their subjects with an iron fist. If anyone thinks of himself or herself as a ruler, consider these lines from Lord Byron's Poem titled, "The Ocean". It says: "The armaments which thunderstrike the walls              

Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,

And monarchs tremble in their capitals,

The oak leviathan, whose huge ribs make

Their clay creator the vain title take

Of lord of thee, and arbiter of war,—

These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,

They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar

Like the Armada’s pride or spoils of Trafalgar.

Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee:

Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?

Thy waters washed their power while they were free,

And many a tyrant since; their shores obey        ...."

In Nigeria, as 2023 approaches, outgoing leaders at various levels are already shopping for their successors and preparing handover notes. The fundamental question that must be placed before those on the saddle now is this: How do they want to be remembered or how do they want to see the constituencies they now govern managed when they are out of power?

One of the nightmares of an exciting good leader is succession contradictions. When a good leader is succeeded by a bad successor, the legacies of the former shall be put in reverse gear or the promises of the future stalled. This is always a frustrating experience to behold by any former leader who is passionate about the next generation.

For rulers, those who have failed to be objective with power will remember too soon that their time is up. In no distant time, they shall be on the bad side of history with many regrets because they had the opportunity but betrayed it. History will come reminding them of their worst actions or inactions.

Another worse nightmare of a former ruler is the failure to get with energy and stress what he could have gotten by a word of command while in power. It is failing to have their way with people who were once their least aides or servants, and cannot do anything about it that often makes them allergic!

Tyrants are reminded of the words of Chaplin which says, "As long as men die, liberty will never perish." Therefore, when you have the opportunity to lead, use it well because another might not come your way anymore. Also, when you want to be remembered for good, be good; when you want to be remembered for bad, the choice is entirely yours to make. The treatment you meted unto others today shall be meted unto you tomorrow even worse. That is Buddhist's law of Karma for you!

You may be President today, tomorrow is another;

You are a governor today, tomorrow it can be me; you might be a senator today; someone is waiting to take over in the next four (4) years. If you are a Chief Executive, retirement must come calling someday.

If today was yesterday's future; then, today must be tomorrow's yesterday. This is the verdict of nature dictated by a restless but fair distributor of human fate: Time!

If the man on the saddle gets it right by being objective (not subjective), chances are that the best, even in succession, will emerge. African China featuring Efe in his song titled, "Mr. President" offered the following profound charge to those in the position of authority whether as a leader or professionals. It is for our listening pleasure and for deep reflection too:

"Make una lead us well

No, let this nation fall inside well

Mr. President

Lead us well

If you be governor

Govern us well

If you be a senator

Senate am well

If you be the police

Police well well, no dey take bribe." That is the message, doing the best you can to serve the common good while in power.

Let me conclude this piece with the following words by Distinguished Senator Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the Nigerian Senate between 2015 - and 2019. He wrote:

"In some months ahead, the people that move about like Gods today would become ordinary people you will meet at the train stations, Airports, Mosques, and Churches. They will be deserted by their aides, loyalists, and hangers-on. They will move without the crowd of security men that surrounds them. Their phones will no more be busy and they will start calling missed calls. They can be arrested so easily. They will meet those they disfavoured or persecuted. They can no more order and direct but request, beg or appeal. They will have no immunity and will watch their words and steps. They will harvest their crops." What a reminder and a warning signal to the political class especially those in the position of authority in Nigeria who will have to face an election in 2023 with every possibility of winning or losing. It is already a nightmare, especially, for those with despotic inclinations while in power.

Tomorrow shall always come if men are alive. Regimes come and go but the state remains. As recent as 1999 was Obasanjo in power; today is Buhari. New sheriffs are coming at all levels to replace those our laws exit!

 

References

Skyler, J. (2015). Rulers vs. leaders. https://everything-voluntary.com/rulers-vs-leaders.

VICM (2021). Rulership vs. Leadership. https://vicmnigeria.con/rulership-vs-leadership/